The phenomenal “Lightning Bolt” Usain Bolt of Jamaica has won the gold medal in the 200 meters and set a new world record at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics on August 20, 2008, shattering the 200M world record, set by U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. Usain Bolt is the first athlete since U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis, in the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics, to win the gold medal in both the 100 and 200 meter races.
“I’ve been saying all season that 200 means more to me than 100 meters,” Bolt told a packed news conference nearly two hours after the race. “It means a lot because I’ve been dreaming about it since I was yea high.”
Two hours after the race ended, the finish order changed. Wallace Spearmon of the United States had finished third but was disqualified shortly after the race for leaving his lane. He was celebrating along with Bolt — even picking up his friend — carrying the American flag around the track for several minutes after the race and was shocked when an official told him of the DQ.
That gave Churandy Martina (19.82) of Netherlands Antilles the silver, with American Shawn Crawford (19.96), the defending Olympic champion, winning the bronze medal.
When U.S. officials watched the tape of Spearmon’s disqualification, they noticed that Martina had stepped out of HIS lane, and filed a protest. It was upheld, and fourth-place finisher Walter Dix (19.98) moved up to the bronze medal, and Crawford to the silver.
But there was not doubt that Bolt won the gold. He broke the world mark of 19.32 set by Michael Johnson at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and became the first man to win the 100 and 200 in the same Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984. He is the only man to win both events in a single Olympics and set world records in both. He is the first man to hold both records simultaneously since Donald Quarrie, a Jamaican star in the 1970s.
“Incredible,” Johnson told the Associated Press after the race. “He got an incredible start. Guys of 6-5 should not be able to start like that. It’s that long, massive stride. He’s eating up so much more track than others. He came in focused, knowing he would likely win the gold and he’s got the record.”
Bolt — unusually large for a sprinter at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds — did not showboat at the end of this race, as he did in the 100, keeping his focus on the race from start to finish, grimacing with effort over the last 50 or so meters. When he saw his posted time, he collapsed on the track, then began a jubilant victory lap around the stadium, much as he had after winning the 100 last weekend in a world record 9.69 seconds.
During his celebration, the crowd serenaded Bolt, who turns 22 Thursday, with several choruses of “Happy Birthday.”
Source: (Updated) Bolt Wins 200; DQ Gives U.S. Silver and Bronze
Photo credit: JGetty Images AsiaPac
Click here to watch NBC Video Usain Bolt 200 meter world record victory.
Usain Bolt 200m video
Here is a video report on Usain Bolt’s historic victory.
Related post:
- Video & Photos: Usain Bolt 9.69 World Record, 100 Meters, Gold Medal at 2008 Summer Olympics Beijing
